Down Memory Lane
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon, day three hundred and twenty-one: It's Matt and Sasha's one-year anniversary, and they reminisce.


_Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a 2nd cycle, and then a 3rd, 4th, etc through 15th cycle. Now cycle 16!_

* * *

**"Down Memory Lane"  
Matt/Sasha (OC)  
11th installment (Direct sequel to "Comparing Notes") **

One summer day, not too far from the end of it and before school was to start for both of them, Matt and Sasha had a day to celebrate… One year before, to the day, they had met, at the indoor pool of a New York hotel. Now they would return to the scene of that meet, to remember.

Matt had made the ride up to New York, and after a morning of tagging along on some Sasha school purchases, they had made their way to the hotel. Matt did express concerns as to what would happen if they were identified as non-guests, but Sasha really wanted it, and really so did he, so in they went, acting very natural like they were in the middle of their stay. Having vacationed there the year before, they could at least benefit in the fore knowledge they had about the pool's location. When they arrived, they were happy to see that not only was it not too crowded, but 'their spot,' where they'd sat to their first talk, was free. They sat, side by side, and she laid her head on his shoulder as they looked out the large windows to the city below.

"It seems bigger…" she pondered aloud. "Stared out there so many times, but it still seems so very different…"

"You didn't shrink, did you?" he suggested jokingly, which made her laugh.

"Yes, that must be it," she played along. "Still, one year… feels like more, sometimes, with everything that happened."

"Buses and planes a lot, totally worth it," he nodded.

"First time I visited Lima," she recalled.

"Your family's always been so good to me, and you know I've missed your mother's food."

"I think all the compliments are part of why she likes you so much." Again, she laughed. "She trusts you… maybe it's the accent."

"Ha, ha," she mock-laughed. "But then you showed me about Glee Club, and you made it sound so grand, so I had to make my own."

"Find a name yet?" he teased, knowing the answer, as well as the tap on the arm was about to come.

"You know, I think we're just fine with no name! Well, they are… Kind of sad I had to leave them behind, but it was worth it to be nearer," she pointed out and he nodded with a smile. "They'll be fine. They're in good hands."

"They should name it after you, I mean you did create it," he reminded her. She just smirked. "The distance was bad though. I just remember how much I wanted to be able to be near you when your dad had his accident."

"Yeah," her voice softened, the way it always did when the subject or something that reminded her of it came up. "But you were there, best you could. Made me feel safer," she held on to his arm and he kissed the top of her head. "He got better," she followed the story, to comfort and remind herself, really.

"He did," Matt nodded. "And I got to see that when I came." He was glad to have a happier subject to discuss with her. Seeing her face melt into that smile was the best part of his day sometimes. "Should have seen your face when you saw me," he told her and she turned her head up expectantly. As demanded, he tried to reproduce it, which made her erupt into giggles.

"I honestly thought I was still dreaming, like my whole day was made up, because there was no way that you could really, possibly be there!" she explained animatedly.

"That was kind of the idea," he declared with pride, and she nodded in agreement. Silence set in as it seemed both of them thought about the same thing at the same time, the 'dark weeks' of their relationship. They didn't want to speak of it, most of all Matt. He still felt shamed and embarrassed by his assumptions about Sasha and her friend and co-Club No Name member Adam. They had gotten through it in the end, but there was still that time where he'd feared he had lost her.

"Then that great number… 531 miles," he carried on, and she smiled.

"Shared time zone, it changes everything," she hummed. "It was just confusing sometimes," she complained, but then smiled. "This has been the best summer; shame it has to end. We can set up a schedule of some sort though, for visits," she nodded.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out," he bowed his head to her.

"Yes I will," she grinned, then, "Are you dressed for a swim there?" she looked at him. He looked back at her, almost inspecting. "What are you…" Before she could react, he was up and picking her up over his shoulder. "Matt!" she squealed. "No, no!" she laughed, barely resisting and soon he jumped with her, sinking into the pool. They resurfaced and indeed she was laughing.

"Happy anniversary…"

THE END

**_

* * *

[A/N: This is a one-shot ficlet, story alert won't get you anything! ;)]_**


End file.
